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"It was the state government that was engaged in that and I understand that the previous state government took the money off the table for that cultural centre."

Cr Quirk said he had spoken to Brisbane's indigenous elders about this issue last week.

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In 1998, Brisbane City Council allowed the southeast corner of Musgrave Park to become leased to a community group to establish an indigenous cultural centre.

That is where the tent embassy protesters initially walked to this morning, in front of the Jagera Arts Centre, before marching on Parliament House.

In 2002 that community group, Musgrave Park Cultural Centre Incorporated, signed a 30-year lease with Arts Queensland to develop plans for a cultural centre.

Last year, brisbanetimes.com.au revealed Arts Queensland had about $3.7 million left from the $5 million set aside by former premier Peter Beattie in 1999.

Cr Quirk this morning said he wanted to accelerate this project, which was first conceived in 1985.

"I have indicated that I am prepared and I am happy to have further discussion with the indigenous community, with our elders in our city about advancing that because I think it is important to be recognised," he said.

"It's part of that inclusion plan that I have so often spoken about."

Cr Quirk said the issue of the stalled indigenous cultural centre in Brisbane must be addressed quickly.

"The cultural centre issue has gone on far too long and as Lord Mayor of the city, I have indicated to the elders that I will be having them in for further discussions around that," he said.

"And that will happen sooner rather than later."

Musgrave Park is one of the most important indigenous sites in southeast Queensland.

Brisbane City Council's 2009 Living Heritage publication described Musgrave Park as a "place of ritual, ceremony and dispute resolution".

It cited traditional elder Paddy Jerome, who described the area as "ceremonial land...a place of spirit memories".

In 2002, a sub-lease for a 30 year period was signed between Musgrave Park Cultural Centre and Arts Queensland, with the commitment to develop the new Centre by 2004.

However infighting and tribal jealousies have prevented the centre from being built.

Over the past 10 years, little has happened, despite the Labor government appointing further consultants in April 2011 to develop a "cultural consultancy" to define what sort of centre should be built.

The wider Musgrave Park area, a Brisbane City Council-owned parkland, has become closely associated with the Greek community, with the Paniyiri Festival held on the ground each May for more than 30 years.

The festival honours the Greek community, which has built a cultural centre on Edmondstone Street, which forms one of Musgrave Park's borders.

"Axeheads and stone tools have been located near the Grey/Peel streets intersection and also in the area near the Captain Cook bridge," she wrote.

"More axeheads, along with stone scrapers for sharpening spears, cutting hair or skinning game were found in vicinity of Musgrave Park.

"Scarred trees and human skulls in the same area add other dimensions to territorial occupation.

"An early resident recounted finding a skull in the Kangaroo Point scrub in 1856 and said others were collected around River Terrace.

"William Clark, who lived in south Brisbane from 1849, wrote that it was a common entertainment in the 1850s for the 'cabbage tree hatters' to form themselves into 'secret commandoes' and use long sticks to dislodge burial remains from the tree forks in the south Brisbane/West End area."